Recently we received a letter asking a good question about healing. I felt that if one person had this question, surely others did, and it seemed fitting to send it out to our whole body of believers. This was the question:

“That is in Mk Ch16:18, it speaks of Believers laying hands on the sick, and they recovering. In 1Cor 12:9 it speaks of gifts of healings, then in Jn 14:12 Jesus says we will do greater works than Him. So if I need to be like Jesus, who ministered almost all of the time in Healing people, then why gifts of Healings only some believers have?”

If you look at Mark 16:15 you see the whole purpose behind the gifts; “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” The purpose of the gifts is to manifest the love of God to the lost and unsaved, to draw them unto Himself. It’s like ringing the dinner bell. When the gifts are working, people flock to God. Let’s go on to the next verse: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

The key here is “Believeth” and “Baptized”. Let’s look at those two words. To believe means to be absolutely convinced of, to be fully persuaded. Here the word “baptized” that Jesus used is the Greek word 907 in the Strong’s concordance, “Baptizo”. There is another Greek word “Bapto” which also means baptize, and in English we sort of lump anything that means baptize(d) into one thought. But really, they are two distinct ideas. Let me make it real simple. Bapto means dipped. Baptizo means saturated. The best example comes from a 10th century Greek recipe for making pickles. You bapto (dip) the cucumber in boiling water and remove it promptly. Then you baptizo it in the pickling solution and leave it there until it becomes a pickle, so that no matter how you slice it, it is pickled through and through. The spiritual implication for baptizo is that you are so filled with the Holy Spirit that you are thoroughly changed by the Gospel to the uttermost, made into the image of Christ in word and deed and thought and intent.
While some think that being water baptized makes you a Christian, according to God’s definition, all getting baptized in water does is shows those who are witnessing the event that you are taking on the cause of Christ, willing to stand with Him, even at the cost of your life. And that is good. But, in the absence of those witnesses, who knows if you are a Christian or not? That’s why each church you become a member of wants to re-baptize you. All you get is wet. BUT…if you are “baptizo”, EVERYBODY KNOWS IT!
Let’s go to the next verse. Here I want to be careful not to offend any of my Christian brethren, as I know different denominations have some different doctrines, but we’re all supposed to be on the same team, in opposition to the devil. I want to draw the Body of Christ together, not scatter them. The Bible speaks clearly…”And these signs shall follow them that believe: in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.”Here’s a hot one: If you truly believe, are fully persuaded of the Holy Spirit being in you, in the name of Jesus you shall cast out devils (or drive out devils). I’ve gone to churches where they flatly say “We don’t do that here”. I say, “Yeah, I can see that!” The devil seems to get his way there with no opposition. People there are oppressed, or sick, or have any number of afflictions. “They shall speak with new tongues”. Some don’t believe in that either. But the Bible definition of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, Acts 2:11, Acts 10:44-47, Mark 16:17, is clearly that the baptism is evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. Some churches vote on whether they believe these things or not. Let me clue you….no vote is necessary. God said it…BELIEVE IT! These things are for your BENEFIT !
Now, verse 18: “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”Taking up serpents means to cast out devils. It doesn’t mean for you to become a snake handler. If one accidently ingests poison (not purposely), it shall not harm them. Now, here’s the part you’re interested in “they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”In an old Greek translation several years ago I saw an interesting fact; the “they” at the first of the sentence was a different word than “they” of the last part, meaning, “they” the believer, shall lay hands on the sick and “they”, implying the believer AND the sick, shall receive healing. They BOTH get blessed! Perhaps that explains why for almost 13 years now, I have enjoyed perfect health. Now, if YOU believe, are fully persuaded of Christ dwelling in you by His Holy Spirit, THEN the promises are unto you!

When I was recovering from melanomas and liver cancer in 1993, I didn’t wait until I felt well to start praying for the sick. I told people I was healed of cancer by Jesus, and people would say, You don’t LOOK healed. I said, Well, I don’t FEEL healed, either, but LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE! I would show them Isaiah 53:5, and 1 Peter 2:24, and Psalm 103:2-3. You see, I wasn’t moved by what the doctors told me. They said I’d be dead in a month. That was July 1993. I wasn’t moved by what I looked like in the mirror or how I felt. After several months, I continued to feel and look worse, and I got down to 86 pounds. But I was only moved by the Word of God. And God made His Word good for me, and has ever since. I am fully convinced of His promises, and I walk in them daily, as can anyone who will simply take God at His Word and run with it. God is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of faith.
Jesus operated in healing gifts, not just because He was the Son of God, but because He believed. The Bible says He stripped himself of all His Godly authority and came to earth as a MAN. Yes, He was of Holy seed, but He had to play the game by the same exact rules that you and I do. You see, just because He was the Son of God, didn’t mean He could not have operated in unbelief like other people did, but it was His choice to walk by faith and obedience to His Father. And He did it without sin. Jesus said in John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
It is written in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” If it said “a measure of faith” that could mean your measure is more or less than mine. But it says “the” measure, and there’s only one size measure, and you have it. I have it. Every believer has it. It’s also the same measure Jesus received when He was baptized. And it’s the only measure you’ll ever need. That measure will heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, move mountains, anything you need….if you believe. So, do you believe? I guess that’s the question. If you do, then the promise is for you. If not, then you can’t operate in it. I believe, and I see it happening. Another thing, why did Paul say for every man not to think more highly of himself than he should? Because, God has dealt unto every man the measure of faith, not just a select few who think they are a cut above the rest. How you use that measure of faith is what makes the difference. Look how Jesus used His, and do ye likewise!
Jesus was ONE MAN healing people. Then He commissioned the twelve. Then the seventy. You will notice how they walked in that power as Jesus did according to Luke 9:1-2 ; “Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Then in Luke 10:1, “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and to before His face into every city and place whither He himself would come.” Then again in Luke 10:17-19, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Some would argue “Well, it was only the original disciples who walked in such power. Well, the seventy weren’t part of the original twelve, were they? You see, Jesus was already opening up the ministry to future believers. Are you a believer?

Acts 2:39 says, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Are you called? Yes. Do you believe? If so, then “greater works” are for you to operate in. There are multitudes of lost and unsaved out there, hoping to see God at work. Many have become hopeless because they don’t see any power in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But it isn’t because the Word of God doesn’t have power, but of unbelief and lack of faith on the part of “believers”.
God has given you a calling, power and authority, a royal priesthood to fulfill, a Gospel to preach! Now GO YE! ONLY BELIEVE, and greater works shall be yours!